After going 1-1 in the Mountain West Championship tournament over the weekend, the San Jose State men’s basketball team will head to Daytona Beach, Florida to compete in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
The CBI is a tournament for college teams who did not qualify for the NCAA or NIT tournaments, two of the biggest college basketball tournaments for Division I teams.
Tournament participants must pay $27,500 to participate, according to a Sunday USA Today article.
The last time the Spartans were in the CBI was in 2011, where they lost to Creighton University 85-74.
This season, SJSU was on the cusp of an NIT berth, but a big loss to the University of Arkansas, as well as blown leads to the University of the Pacific and Hofstra University kept it on the outside looking in.
Instead, the Spartans (20-13, 10-8 Mountain West) gained the No. 2 seed in the CBI and will face Southern Indiana University (16-16, 9-9 Ohio Valley).
SJSU has arguably accomplished more in its season than Southern Indiana, but the Screaming Eagles could expose some holes in the Spartans’ game.
SJSU finished 95th in the NCAA net rankings while Southern Indiana ranks 257th.
The NCAA net rankings are rankings based on strength of schedule wins and losses throughout the season for each Division I team.
Here is a breakdown of the SJSU’s first round matchup:
The good
The Mountain West Conference is above and beyond a better conference than the Ohio Valley Conference, and SJSU has played better competition than their midwest counterparts.
Four Mountain West teams were able to go to the Big Dance: San Diego State, Boise State, Utah State and the University of Nevada, Reno.
The University of New Mexico made the NIT as a No. 2 seed.
SJSU beat Boise State, Utah State and Nevada in the regular season.
Out of the three major tournaments, only one other team is representing the Ohio Valley Conference.
Morehead State University won the Ohio Valley Conference, but only made it as a No. 8 seed in the NIT.
On the floor, the Spartans have arguably the best player on either side of the court in senior guard Omari Moore. Moore is averaging 17.5 points, 4.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game and was named Mountain West Player of the Year.
Throughout the season, SJSU has proved to be one of the best rebounding teams in the nation.
The Spartans have outrebounded opponents by an average of 8 rebounds per game, which ranks sixth in the nation.
Senior forward Sage Tolbert III has been a catalyst for the Spartans’ rebounding production this season. The 6-foot-8 wing from New Orleans has been a garbage man on the boards for SJSU, averaging 7.2 rebounds per game this season.
The Bad
Though the Screaming Eagles have played in a weaker conference this season, they are better than the Spartans in just about every statistical category.
They score more points per game, average more assists and shoot a better percentage from beyond the arc.
Southern Indiana has four players who average double digits in scoring while SJSU has just one.
The Screaming Eagles are led by sophomore guard Isaiah Swope who averages 15.6 points per game on 42.1% shooting from the three-point line.
Southern Indiana averages 76.5 points per game as a team and shoots 43.6% from the field.
One of the biggest weaknesses for SJSU this year has been guarding teams that have athletic point guards who can shoot the three-ball.
Some of the biggest losses that the Spartans have suffered this season have been against teams like San Diego State and New Mexico, who are led by shifty point guards who shoot 3-pointers at an efficient rate.
Though the Screaming Eagles have played in a weaker conference, they have proved they could put points on the board on a consistent basis. The Spartans thrive when their defense turns points into offense while they control the glass on both ends.
Final thoughts
Even with the offensive firepower that Southern Indiana possesses, SJSU has the ability to win its first round matchup with ease.
Thus far, the Spartans have proved they don’t lose to teams they are not supposed to.
SJSU has played elite competition all season, and the Screaming Eagles don’t have a player or a scheme that the Spartans have not seen before.
However, this is March.
As basketball fans have seen time and again, anything can happen in a game on a neutral court. If the Spartans are not careful, they could fall victim to a major upset.
